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Should I stop paying for health insurance?

I'm self employed and pay about $700/month for health insurance. Over the years I've gotten annual checkups or needed antibiotics, or received treatment for a bone fracture, and none of it has ever reached my yearly deductible.

I'm 48, don't take medication and have no health problems. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. I'm at the low end of the "healthy" weight for my age/height BMI. I eat mainly whole foods and no meat, dairy, or oils.

I pay extra car insurance to cover medical bills if I get in an accident.

If I break my leg or get an infection or a bad flu or even cancer, couldn't I just pay out of pocket or make payments to the hospital for service I ACTUALLY RECEIVE, instead of paying hundreds of dollars every month (plus co-payments and deductibles if I do need service) for nothing?

I could be putting that $700/month into my own emergency health fund.

Tell me the pros and cons of opting out of health insurance.

by Anonymousreply 143December 13, 2021 5:11 AM

Get something cheaper but get something period.

You honestly have no clue when something random might happen whether it's just your body being itself (appendix bursting) or someone doing something to you.

I had a random genetic illness pop up that took 4 years to get under control including surgery, 14 different medications and 6 months of an insanely damaging one. Up until then, zero problems at all.

You just don't know!

by Anonymousreply 1September 10, 2019 11:28 PM

get different.

that plan sucks!

by Anonymousreply 2September 10, 2019 11:37 PM

Go to a good broker. Try mutual societies without shareholders to pay.

by Anonymousreply 3September 10, 2019 11:42 PM

What r1 says. Anything could happen.

by Anonymousreply 4September 10, 2019 11:44 PM

At about your age, I got pneumonia. I was healthy before that, and since. I spent 5 days in the hospital and on.y left AMA. I almost died. The bill was, IIRC, $32,000. I paid nothing as I had good insurance.

by Anonymousreply 5September 11, 2019 12:02 AM

R5 What are the good insurance companies out there?

by Anonymousreply 6September 11, 2019 12:06 AM

Definitely not but get a bronze plan or something cheaper.

by Anonymousreply 7September 11, 2019 12:18 AM

If you have no health insurance a hospital can not refuse to admit you, Join the illegals who get excellent healthcare. Better than what we pay for through insurance,

by Anonymousreply 8September 11, 2019 12:19 AM

R8 The hospital cannot refuse to admit you; you cannot stop them then suing you. If you have a house, say goodbye to all that. They will charge you the max, probably what they have charged their insurance company who will sue your ass off and make you bankrupt after they take your house. This is the USA.

by Anonymousreply 9September 11, 2019 12:29 AM

Anything can happen OP. One day you are healthy as a horse, the next day you trip and fall down the stairs. Then you'll be crying with no insurance, you could have months or longer of rehabilitation.

by Anonymousreply 10September 11, 2019 12:36 AM

R9 needs exposition..

The insurance companies negotiate a reduced rate for their insured. So oddly, the uninsured, the people who can afford it least, pay far more than a VP at a financial company, even for the exact same service. This is also why no one can tell you what a procedure costs when they tell you you “need” it.

by Anonymousreply 11September 11, 2019 12:40 AM

Face it, r9 is limited.

by Anonymousreply 12September 11, 2019 1:05 AM

[quote] R6: [R5] What are the good insurance companies out there?

I had United Healthcare and also Massachusetts Blue Cross through my employer. They seemed equivalent and excellent. I assume that they might have crappy plans, but I don’t know. I worked for financial companies and they had great benefits.

Then I got a job with Coventry Healthcare. I thought I’d be getting the gold standard in insurance, but it was the exact opposite. Every employee who had an insured spouse got their insurance through their spouse. I used to hear my thrice-over manager arguing on the phone with the insurer, trying to get his cancer treatment covered.

When I quit Coventry Healthcare, I terminated my med coverage immediately and went on Obamacare, so I could get coverage for treatment I needed. Coventry can burn in Hell, as far as I’m concerned. Really shitty company to work for. They have a lot of subsidiaries, like Mutual of Omaha and others.

by Anonymousreply 13September 11, 2019 1:12 AM

Marketplace plans will have a cap on out-of-pocket expenses (though sometimes only for in-network providers). This may be helpful if the unexpected ever happens and you are saddled with a large bill.

Health insurance will also cover regular vaccines but that's less an issue at your age. I have also gotten bloodwork for free, but I don't know if that's true of other people's experiences.

by Anonymousreply 14September 11, 2019 1:21 AM

Get some insurance to cover catastrophic issues. I woke up one morning with Bell's Palsy (a cranial nerve issue that caused facial paralysis). It can only be diagnosed by ruling out other causes of the paralysis. I had an ambulance ride to the ER, a MRI and a CT scan of my brain. I was discharged after 6 hours.

The bill was $12,000 for that 6 hour sojourn.

by Anonymousreply 15September 11, 2019 1:26 AM

[quote] At about your age, I got pneumonia. I was healthy before that, and since. I spent 5 days in the hospital and on.y left AMA. I almost died. The bill was, IIRC, $32,000. I paid nothing as I had good insurance.

Thank you for the example. My question remains, then: Why not just make monthly payments to the hospital (or loan or credit card) for that treatment? $500-700/month for three to four years would cover your $32k example. That would be a monthly payment for a service I actually GOT, instead of making monthly payments indefinitely...until I die or qualify for Medicare.

And besides, if I was saving 500-700/month (or more) in a health emergency fund, I could use a chunk of that savings to pay for an emergency, then make payments for the rest. Meanwhile make a little interest keeping the money in my own bank.

by Anonymousreply 16September 11, 2019 1:35 AM

[quote] R16, well, you may pay that bill over time, but meanwhile, you’re not covered for anything else, over those years.

If you feel strongly about this, by all means, get a bronze plan.

by Anonymousreply 17September 11, 2019 1:39 AM

Because it's likely to be way more than $32K OP

More like $132K because you'll be getting billed top dollar as per R11.

Just get a cheaper plan where your out of pocket can't be more than $XX (say $15K or $30K) and you'll be okay.

And yes, your situation explains exactly why our current health care system sucks--because too many people on plans like yours won't go in for extra tests or similar because they don't want to have to/can't afford to pay out of pocket for a $1500 procedure

by Anonymousreply 18September 11, 2019 1:40 AM

You don't want to have a break in your insurance coverage. They can make it difficult to get a plan if you're not currently insured. I wish I could explain it better but I've always heard that you don't want to go without.

I have a rather crappy silver plan that costs me 700+ a month but I'm in NYC. Get a bronze plan, OP.

by Anonymousreply 19September 11, 2019 1:42 AM

Some technical arguments here:

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 20September 11, 2019 1:43 AM

You can always cut your (future) medication in half, OP.

I have hypothyroidism and need a med for that. Also had a limited period of low-T, but it passed.

by Anonymousreply 21September 11, 2019 1:44 AM

Absolutely not! This is the time when you could easily get a diagnosis that is more serious. Do NOT get rid of health insurance. Your premium is ridiculously high for a single man your age with no preexisting conditions. If that's just for you, you should go on the Obamacare marketplace and compare plans there that take your doctors (if any). If you haven't reached your deductible you can risk higher deductible for lower premiums and you'll only have a bigger bill on the first year if something serious happens.

by Anonymousreply 22September 11, 2019 1:46 AM

And if your premiums are that high because your doctor doesn't take many plans, you may want to change doctors. Even for a PPO / Point of Service (i.e. non HMO) plan, that is expensive.

by Anonymousreply 23September 11, 2019 1:49 AM

Don't assume that a hospital will give uninsured patients the same care as insured ones. Once a hospital stabilizes you, they can ship you off onto another--usually lesser -- hospital if they do not like your insurance, or if you are uninsured. There are laws that supposedly limit this, but in the real world patient dumping is real.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 24September 11, 2019 1:51 AM

OP, as R1 said, it's a gamble. I had a health scare that put me in the hospital for 48 hours -- only 48 hours -- and the total bill for the hospital stay and the procedures was over $25,000, of which my insurance paid $24,000 and I paid $1,000 out of pocket. A friend of mine advised, "If you think you can just get a low-cost plan that only pays for catastrophic care like hospital stays, that doesn't work, because a lot of the procedures you have while in the hospital are not covered by those policies.

Hope that helps.

by Anonymousreply 25September 11, 2019 2:01 AM

How big's your cock?

by Anonymousreply 26September 11, 2019 2:01 AM

You’re too old. The chance of something cropping up is higher in your 50’s.

by Anonymousreply 27September 11, 2019 2:05 AM

OP, find a better plan. Unless you have money to burn you still need some sort of insurance. I used to think like you. I was fit and in good health, a non-smoker, etc. I was self-employed and uninsured and saw a doctor once a year for an annual physical.

In my 40s a series of medical problems blind-sided me including one that required emergency surgery. This was pre-Affordable Care Act. Some doctors refused to see me as a self-pay patient. They would not even speak to me.

Also, the cost of imaging procedures (e.g. MRIs) is extremely high. You really don't want to be on the hook for imaging costs in the US.

by Anonymousreply 28September 11, 2019 2:19 AM

Curious OP what state do you live in because the average ACA premium is 300-400 dollars with a max out of pocket of 5000-8000.?

by Anonymousreply 29September 11, 2019 2:39 AM

Yes!

by Anonymousreply 30September 11, 2019 2:44 AM

I'm self-employed and purchase individual health insurance polices directly from the insurer (not through the Marketplace). A few years ago, I changed policies with the same insurance company, but forgot to change the policy number on my automatic payment via my bank. Every month, my premium was sent to the insurance company but applied to a closed policy, not my new policy. The insurance company cashed the checks for three consecutive months (over $1,800), but terminated the coverage of my new policy because of non-payment (they were getting the money, it was just being applied to a closed account). They did not notify me of the non-payment. I found out in my doctor's office when they checked my insurance and it came back as terminated. When it was finally sorted out, the insurance company refused to reinstate my policy, even though they had been accepting the payments the whole time. They sent me a check for the full amount they had accepted and applied to the wrong policy.

ACA's rules make it nearly impossible to obtain insurance outside of the open-enrollment period, so I couldn't get a new policy until the following year. I was without health insurance for several months, and paid out of pocket when I needed something. The out-of-pocket rates are exorbitantly inflated compared to negotiated insurance rates. Just a couple office visits and bloodwork cost more than what I would have been paying in premiums. I was lucky nothing major happened during the remainder of that year but, if it had, it could have been financially devastating.

tl;dr: Keep your insurance, OP.

by Anonymousreply 31September 11, 2019 3:01 AM

OP, don't drop insurance. Like you I have always taken care of myself and never sick except for the usual colds and flu. At 49, I needed an appendectomy. Spent 36 hours in the hospital. Final tab - $33,000. Shit happens that you cannot anticipate.

by Anonymousreply 32September 11, 2019 3:09 AM

I recently had a septoplasty (to fix a badly deviated septum), which is a relatively simple and quick operation. That one procedure cost my insurance company $20K and it cost me about $2K. You don't want to go without insurance, especially at your age.

by Anonymousreply 33September 11, 2019 3:13 AM

Don't do it OP! I had insurance and felt the same way, so I dropped it since I was only 50. Nine months into that year without coverage I ended up in the hospital for a 10 day stay which cost me $110,000 plus another $5000 in doctors and specialists. Since I owned a house and car I wanted to continue owning I paid it back over a 4 year period. If you don't own anything, I'd drop it and then declare bankruptcy when the bills came due. Medical bankruptcies in the US are very common as a result of our shitty system.

by Anonymousreply 34September 11, 2019 3:24 AM

Keep your insurance, OP.

I was fine until I wasn't. And then diagnosed with M.S.

by Anonymousreply 35September 11, 2019 2:53 PM

I spend almost $1,000 month for insurance. Skip cable, lattes, apps - insurance is the great peace of mind and you should never be afraid of getting medical care.

by Anonymousreply 36September 11, 2019 3:29 PM

You need to get a cheaper policy. But at least get something that would cover a catastrophic illness. If you end up in the hospital for 30 days, I guarantee you you wouldn't be able to pay out of pocket.

by Anonymousreply 37September 11, 2019 3:32 PM

If I didn't have insurance my (yes, unexpected) open heart surgery would have left me $500,000 in debt.

by Anonymousreply 38September 11, 2019 3:40 PM

At least two thirds of all bankruptcies are because of medical expenses/bills. As others have suggested, shop around for health insurance that better meets your needs, but do not go without. My partner always took great care of herself and was very healthy. Then she was stricken with a kind of heart disease that afflicts young, athletic women--very rare. Three heart attacks in one week, the last in the ICU. Two stents, etc. Her medical insurance cost about $900 a month, but it will pay nearly all of her medical bills which are enormous. If we didn't have insurance, bankruptcy would have been our only option.

by Anonymousreply 39September 11, 2019 3:47 PM

I had an attack of pericarditis 5 years ago. It comes on with the same symptoms as the onset of a heart-attack. I went to the emergency room at 5:00 p.m. on a Saturday. They kept me there overnight, I was released at 5 p.m. the following day. The bill for the 24 hours in the hospital was $53,000. I'd stick with the insurance if I were you. Someday, something like that is going to happen to you, it's inevitable.

by Anonymousreply 40September 11, 2019 3:47 PM

I once neglected to pay my premium and my insurance was cancelled. IIRC, I was in the hospital and couldn’t pay. Anyway, I had a $15,000 bill. After I got out of the hospital, I paid, but it was a few days past the absolute deadline. They wrote me saying my insurance was cancelled and my hospital stay was not covered. Then I wrote the insurance company back and acknowledged that I failed to make the payment, and explained that I was in the hospital.

They reinstated my insurance because, they wrote, they couldn’t prove that my payment was late. They paid about $10,000 towards the hospital bill! It was a total gift, since I had already acknowledged in writing that the payment was late, and they could have looked at the date on my check! That was United Healthcare.

Life isn’t usually like that. It’s usually doggie-dog.

by Anonymousreply 41September 11, 2019 4:04 PM

That's "dog eat dog" not doggie-dog.

by Anonymousreply 42September 11, 2019 4:11 PM

r41 had me until "doggie-dog."

by Anonymousreply 43September 11, 2019 4:13 PM

I assume doggie-dog was a knowing reference to Gloria on Modern Family.

This whole “choice” of health insurance is insane. Public option and stop pretending like health care is optional.

by Anonymousreply 44September 11, 2019 4:19 PM

Good lord, OP, use your imagination. So you think you could pay off the $32,000 bill over three years at the same cost as your insurance, and you probably could. But what if you get in a car accident during those three years and you incur another bill for $50,000? And the uninsured are billed at much higher rates for everything.

I'm self-employed like you and I'm 56 and totally healthy. I have a silver plan this year and I'm paying what you are, but in the past I was getting a bronze plan with a high deductible (roughly $6000) and monthly premiums that were half as much. That's what you need to do.

by Anonymousreply 45September 11, 2019 4:23 PM

[quote] But what if you get in a car accident during those three years and you incur another bill for $50,000?

Car insurance would pay for that.

by Anonymousreply 46September 11, 2019 4:27 PM

Not necessarily R46.

by Anonymousreply 47September 11, 2019 4:37 PM

Try to get recommendations for a good broker and then get the best plan that you can afford. If I didn't have my gold Blue Cross plan, my cancer treatments would have bankrupted me five times over. BTW, I got it at age 54 and I was, til then, very healthy.

by Anonymousreply 48September 11, 2019 4:40 PM

OP, go for it! 48 is the perfect time to forget about healthcare completely. Clearly your health is perfect, and will remain so forever. Accidents NEVER happen! Enjoy your $700!

by Anonymousreply 49September 11, 2019 4:56 PM

Of course not and especially at your age- and accident could cost you half a million or more. The rest is luck. Shop around if you don't like your policy. No middle aged person should be without healthcare insurance, albeit, if they can afford it. All citizens in the US should have access to healthcare and or insurance despite ability to pay- as is the case with the rest of the world among developed nations. VOTE

by Anonymousreply 50September 11, 2019 5:01 PM

I have never heard of auto insurance that covered medical bills. Surely it doesn’t cover everything? Every day in a hospital winds up costing thousands per day. Surely that little “cover your medical bills” plan has a pretty low cap, yes? Does it cover you if you’re a pedestrian and a car hits you?

by Anonymousreply 51September 11, 2019 5:08 PM

FWIW my auto insurance policy covers up to 250,000 in medical bills for me and/or the other party if I'm at fault. It also covers medical bills if I'm a pedestrian and get hit by a car. Plus a couple other random non-vehicle injury stuff I can't remember now. Point being, your car insurance CAN cover medical bills if you choose, and you can set how much to cover.

Of course this level of coverage costs more than what the average person wants to pay for car insurance, which is why so many people with car insurance still get sued for accidents.

by Anonymousreply 52September 11, 2019 5:28 PM

[quote] Join the illegals who get excellent healthcare.

You're an uneducated, bigoted asshole, R8.

by Anonymousreply 53September 11, 2019 5:30 PM

OP, if you do get in an auto accident, and you or the other driver has insurance, it will be a battle of attrition. Who needs that?

by Anonymousreply 54September 11, 2019 5:30 PM

Hey R13, obamacare is an exchange. It is not an insurance company, or policy. All that it does is put you in touch with insurance companies. Does not provide discounts, does nothing for the consumer. It is why insurance company skyrocketed when he signed it.

I hate that asshole.

by Anonymousreply 55September 11, 2019 5:33 PM

Thank you, R55, I know that. Instead of:

When I quit Coventry Healthcare, I terminated my med coverage immediately and went [bold] on [/bold] Obamacare...

I should have written:

When I quit Coventry Healthcare, I terminated my med coverage immediately and went [bold] through [/bold] Obamacare...

by Anonymousreply 56September 11, 2019 5:43 PM

A friend of mine was uninsured when he broke his ankle. The hospital bill was $50K but they charged him about $12K because he was uninsured.

by Anonymousreply 57September 11, 2019 6:09 PM

That’s rare R57. What’s crazy is having insurance means you get charged less because of the “negotiated rate” BS. I had a CT scan that insurance wouldn’t cover. They were going to charge $300 via insurance - but would not allow me to just pay $300 for the scan out of pocket. Then it was $800. And I tried 3 different places. It’s so f%*&d up. I finally talked a billing admin into coding it differently to get the $300 rate. But it was basically against the rules. Ridiculous.

by Anonymousreply 58September 11, 2019 6:17 PM

I had a biopsy with reconstructive surgery + anesthesia, same day in and out, and it cost $17,000.

My insurance covered it and I only had to pay $75 dollars because I used a lab for tests before the surgery that was closer to home and not one of their own.

Saving a few hundred a month would not have covered that.

by Anonymousreply 59September 11, 2019 6:18 PM

R57, it depends on the management of the individual hospital. Some will negotiate with you; others won’t. Some actually double-dip: they agree to accept a reduced payment from an insurance company, and then hound the patient to make up the difference.

by Anonymousreply 60September 11, 2019 7:51 PM

When I went to the hospital and was admitted for pneumonia, I didn’t have my insurance card with me. They listed me as “uninsured”. On the next day, a councilor came by to discuss paying for the bill. I thought that was funny. It was like, they have a councilor there to keep people from jumping out the window, when they hear the cost.

It’s a teaching hospital. I think I’ll either ban students from coming by, or charge them, next time.

by Anonymousreply 61September 11, 2019 7:59 PM

If you are disciplined enough to save you could consider medical vacations. Go to Thailand or the Philippines for treatment.

by Anonymousreply 62September 11, 2019 8:15 PM

An' beesides, whose gone pay fo yo' sets-change?!!

by Anonymousreply 63September 12, 2019 12:03 AM

If you must, increase your deductible, or downgrade your plan in some other way, but in the US, you need a health plan.

by Anonymousreply 64September 12, 2019 12:53 AM

OP, if your income is within the guidelines, Obamacare will cover at least part of your premium.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 65September 12, 2019 1:08 AM

It sounds like you want an high deductible healthcare plan. You’ll have a much higher deductible to meet, but you can combine it with a savings plan that can roll over from year to year so that if you have an unexpected medical expense - you have the funds to cover your part of the cost.

These plans are popular with many people, but generally younger workers. Many don’t cover prescriptions and have serious network restrictions for coverage. Still, depending on how you shop your coverage can be as little as $100-300 a month instead.

by Anonymousreply 66September 12, 2019 1:18 AM

So, I guess that means no?

by Anonymousreply 67September 12, 2019 8:04 PM

I've been strong as a horse my whole life. The two years ago I had an emergency gallbladder removal, then last year I got pneumonia. The bills without my insurance were insane. From what the doctors said in both cases I was about to die. Or they looked at me like I was a ghost. I mean it would have been cheaper to die but when your body goes into survival mode it is a pretty horrible experience.

Get the best insurance you can afford!

by Anonymousreply 68September 12, 2019 8:18 PM

It means “no”, OP. Overwhelmingly.

Have you decided on your choice? It’s your life, after all.

by Anonymousreply 69September 12, 2019 10:16 PM

If you can move to Canada, then yes, stop, why not?

by Anonymousreply 70September 13, 2019 12:31 AM

I cannot believe people are losing their homes over medical bills. I thought homes were sacrosanct. Clearly not. Completely criminal behavior from hospitals. They can't take care from you but they can take your home.

by Anonymousreply 71September 13, 2019 12:40 AM

The hospitals have shareholders to pay. If you don't like it, move to the UK or Canada.

by Anonymousreply 72September 13, 2019 12:42 AM

Most US hospitals are not for profit.

by Anonymousreply 73September 13, 2019 12:48 AM

It's about 55% not-for-profit and 45% for profit R73.

by Anonymousreply 74September 13, 2019 12:56 AM

But the not for profit hospital can still harass you and put a lien against your house. Is that correct? Even they can totally destroy you financially.

by Anonymousreply 75September 13, 2019 1:02 AM

It’s more like 60% nonprofit, 20% government, and 20% for profit.

by Anonymousreply 76September 13, 2019 1:03 AM

How the medicine in USA is so expensive? How? I mean, stories here are insane. 53 000 for one day? Is it especially good?

by Anonymousreply 77September 13, 2019 2:44 AM

It's expensive because hospitals and doctors and drug companies are allowed to charge whatever they want. And no, it’s no better than in other countries, in fact worse than some.

by Anonymousreply 78September 13, 2019 2:51 AM

R78

But this is insane. This is criminal. How it's allowed to happen?

by Anonymousreply 79September 13, 2019 2:55 AM

Pretty sure nobody can take your house or car. The only people who can do that is banks, governments, associations, or contractors (the latter two can lien). if you don't pay mortgage, taxes, fees, or invoices. They will not force you into bankruptcy for medical debt (unless you want to, to absolve the debt).

by Anonymousreply 80September 13, 2019 4:19 AM

Canada is a better bet OP the Anglo equivalent of the GOP is trying to gut their NHS. And now they even have their own Trumpclown in charge!

by Anonymousreply 81September 13, 2019 6:39 AM

Everyone saying they paid "nothing" or "only paid" a deductible for a health incident because they had inurance, keep ignoring the fact they DO pay. Every month for years and decades.

by Anonymousreply 82November 19, 2019 2:25 PM

R79, you are correct. It’s criminal and insane. But they, by which I mean the private health insurance industry, Big Pharma, and the folks who profit most from the current “criminal and insane” system, get away with this by grabbing political power by funding PACs to elect candidates who will do their dirty work and write the laws in their favor. They have entire think tanks to churn out policy papers and spread disinformation (look at this thread, or any public discussion on the topic). Google “Harry and Louise” and Hillarycare for an idea of how they have been spreading propaganda against a public health insurance system for generations.

Every other developed nation on earth figured this out decades ago. The only reason we don’t have it here is because the so-called “free market” and our fucked up campaign finance laws make it too easy for the rich to kill it in the court of public opinion, with the help of corporate media that depends on those Big Healthcare dollars. Ever look at the commercials on cable, local or national news? What industries are the biggest advertisers? Who is profiting from those elderly viewers still watching TV news? Now do you think TV, Inc. is going to bite the hands that feed them?

Our whole system is fucked.

by Anonymousreply 83November 19, 2019 2:48 PM

OP, there are high deductible plans that may suit you better. They’re pretty cheap, and only kick in if you have something catastrophic, in which case you would be covered. Some illnesses like cancer can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. With this kind of plan, you probably pay the first $10,000. You’d be good if all you have to pay for is the occasional doctor visit and you remain healthy.

by Anonymousreply 84November 19, 2019 2:51 PM

I've had the same plan for a while so I don't know if this changed, but it used to be that you had to show proof of continuous coverage to qualify if you changed plans or insurance companies.

So if you decided you didn't want to have insurance for a year or two, and then was covered again at the end of that, the insurance company could deny claims based on you not having continuous coverage.

by Anonymousreply 85November 19, 2019 2:56 PM

Okay, perhaps this changed w the ACA.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 86November 19, 2019 2:58 PM

Are you a gambler OP? Yeah you could save a relatively small amount by giving up insurance but if something big should happen to you the costs could be devastating. Plus, people with no insurance don't tend to get the best care, there is a reason the first thing care givers want to know about you is your insurance.

by Anonymousreply 87November 19, 2019 3:25 PM

US Healthcare is a racket. Pay the goons or they'll break your kneecaps.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 88November 19, 2019 3:32 PM

OP, like you, I had always been in very good health, never went to doctors, heck for decades I didn't even have a doctor, but I did have insurance through my employer. Then one day it hit, I had a brain tumor, fortunately it was a small non cancerous brain tumor but the multiple MRI's, doctor visits, specialist after specialist and the radiation quickly added up to several hundreds of thousands of dollars in a very short period of time. If I had elected to have surgery instead of radiation it would have been even more. Thank God I had insurance, which meant I had the best coverage available and paid very little out of pocket.

by Anonymousreply 89November 19, 2019 3:33 PM

[quote] Everyone saying they paid "nothing" or "only paid" a deductible for a health incident because they had inurance, keep ignoring the fact they DO pay. Every month for years and decades.

Most people have employer paid insurance and do pay nothing.

by Anonymousreply 90November 19, 2019 3:40 PM

My health conscious and apparently healthy partner recently suffered an aneurysm in a coronary artery. The medical bills, after five days in intensive care, etc. approached 200K. Ironically, we had just been complaining about the $900 monthly cost of private health insurance and were considering whether to switch to something cheaper with less coverage, but we did the research and in our part of the country (Seattle), there are not desirable alternatives. It costs what it costs. Our out of pocket costs as a result of the 200K hospital stay are certainly not minimal-- they will be approximately 15k-- but if we hadn't had insurance, the financial impact would have been devastating. Until this country does something to improve our ridiculously expensive and unequal health care system, people with any assets cannot afford to "go bare." A friend, on medicaid, recently spent three days in the hospital, and will pay nothing at all. If one is middle class though, one is screwed. And the cost of private insurance goes up as one ages. It is as if the insurance companies are trying to squeeze as much as they can out of the consumer before Medicare kicks in. And by the way, if you are choosy about your health care provider, Medicare and its supplemental plans, can end up being rather pricey as well.

by Anonymousreply 91November 19, 2019 4:13 PM

I have 100% employer paid insurance. It's a decent plan, but I have a $35 primary care co-pay and $50 specialist co-pay. The one time I had to fight with the insurance company was over an MRI that my doctor's office had pre-authorized, or whatever they call, it with the insurance company. That bill was $6,000. It eventually went to collection and I never paid it. It's not on my credit report. Anyway, I often wonder what it would be like to work for myself, but at the end of the day the benefits (insurance, 401K contribution, paid holidays and generous paid time off) keep me here. OP, you need to figure in your monthly insurance premium into your billing rates or get a job that pays for your insurance.

by Anonymousreply 92November 19, 2019 5:31 PM

Timely article about how many insured Americans are filing for medical bankruptcy. The link is to The Guardian, is that the site that DL banned?

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by Anonymousreply 93November 19, 2019 5:38 PM

Consider this OP. If you break a leg and show up at the ER with insurance you'll be out no more than your co-pay (and deductible if you haven't already satisfied it). Show up at the ER with a broken leg without insurance and you'll get a bill for somewhere between $15-20 THOUSAND dollars. That ambulance ride with insurance may cost you $50.00. Without insurance expect to be charged $1000.00 or more. Have an MRI with insurance you'll pay maybe $125.00. Have one without insurance and the charge would be around $5500.00.

by Anonymousreply 94November 19, 2019 7:31 PM

Don't fool yourself into thinking you can go without insurance and just "pay as you go." I had my gall bladder removed 6 years ago. It was same day surgery - not a night spent in the hospital. The cost was north of $35,000. I had excellent insurance through work, so I paid nothing because I had already met my deductible and out of pocket maximums for the year, which was $5,000.

Last year I had the flu. I went to urgent care and they ambulanced me to the ER, where I spent 24 hours in observation. Again, I was not admitted to a hospital room. The bill for this was $24,000. And again, I paid nothing because of my work insurance.

by Anonymousreply 95November 19, 2019 7:37 PM

R91 I am sorry about your partner. I hope he's OK now.

by Anonymousreply 96November 19, 2019 11:34 PM

[quote]And by the way, if you are choosy about your health care provider, Medicare and its supplemental plans, can end up being rather pricey as well.

Co-pays and especially prescriptions really add up-- my partner has a prescription that's not covered by Medicare and the cost is insane.

by Anonymousreply 97November 21, 2019 9:51 AM

Any new thoughts on this since COVID-19 and related issues on hospitals will be skyrocketing health insurance premiums this year?

by Anonymousreply 98January 5, 2021 2:46 PM

If you're 48 and only paying $700 per month, don't complain.

by Anonymousreply 99January 5, 2021 3:01 PM

OP, why would you want to prolong your life? What do you have to live for? Nothing. So don't bother with insurance. Let nature take its course.

by Anonymousreply 100January 5, 2021 3:04 PM

Get good emergency health insurance - that covers hospitalization etc. I had a seizure in the middle of the night. It freaked out my husband who called an ambulance. I spent one night in the ICU. One night. The bill was 90K. It was 200 pages. They charged me for things I know I didn't need or have. I was unconscious for the night, woke up in the morning and was discharged. They charged me for a speech pathologist session. Um I was out and when I came to, I never spoke to any speech pathologist. Then I started going over the bill line by line. Jesus Chirst. 40 dollars for a bandage, 35 dollars for food I never ate. I could not imagine having that bill with no insurance.

by Anonymousreply 101January 5, 2021 3:09 PM

FYI California has reinstated the penalty for not having health insurance coverage (the one that the Republicans eliminated from Obamacare.)

by Anonymousreply 102January 5, 2021 3:13 PM

I paid 10% of the cost of my - very good - health insurance when I was working and my share of the premium was $70/mo so I assume the monthly cost was around $700. I retired three years ago so I assume it’s gone up since, making OP’s premium sound pretty reasonable since he’s paying the full cost.

I get a similarly subsidized Medicare supplement that combined with Medicare Part A’s premium costs me a lot more in retirement than I paid when I was working.

Bottom line is keep it and pay the premium. That’s what insurance is for: protection from unlikely but potentially catastrophic events.

by Anonymousreply 103January 5, 2021 3:15 PM

I spent one night (24 hours) in the hospital in GA in 2014, suspicion of having had a heart attack. I had not had a heart attack, it turned out. I had insurance. The total bill for my stay was +$52,000. If you can afford it, yes, keep your insurance. Someday soon, it'll come in handy.

by Anonymousreply 104January 5, 2021 3:17 PM

OP, can you do an HSA?

by Anonymousreply 105January 5, 2021 3:20 PM

OP: You're an adult. You're 48, not old, but no spring chicken. Don't be stupid. Get some sort of insurance. Breaking your leg or getting an infection are not the only ailments that could happen. You could end up bankrupt if you have no insurance. Get something--and get something fairly decent. Don't go for rock-bottom insurance coverage.

by Anonymousreply 106January 5, 2021 3:22 PM

Wow! OP you pay waaaaay too much. Shop around! How's 385 a month? That's what I pay for single coverage with a 10$ copay and 25$ for specialists. And yes at 48 you will need coverage,

by Anonymousreply 107January 5, 2021 3:35 PM

No. I wouldn't cancel my car or renter's/homeowner's insurance either. But that's just me.

by Anonymousreply 108January 5, 2021 3:37 PM

[quote]...or even cancer, couldn't I just pay out of pocket ...

Only if you're independently wealthy.

[quote]Any new thoughts on this since COVID-19 and related issues on hospitals will be skyrocketing health insurance premiums this year?

Didn't TPTB say at the beginning of all this that Americans wouldn't have to pay for Covid care? I'll have to check the 'have you had Covid' thread to see if medical bills have been discussed. Interesting thought on what might happen to insurance rates in general.

by Anonymousreply 109January 5, 2021 3:37 PM

I get my insurance through the state exchange and Obamacare pays $700 of my premium. My monthly premium obligation is less than $10 on a Bronze plan. Last year I had an ER visit, had to pay off the deductible over the year. Still not bad.

by Anonymousreply 110January 5, 2021 3:40 PM

This last year I dropped something on my foot and had to have it x-rayed, had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic and had to go to the ER, and had to have surgery. Only the surgery was something I knew about in advance and I had to have it. The allergic reaction alone was $2500 and all they did was look at a bag with my prescriptions in it, tell me the new antibiotic I was given was a really common one for allergic reactions (why give it out then?), and write me a couple of prescriptions to get the swelling down. No tests. No bed. One of the “prescriptions” was to take over the counter Benedryl. $2500. The foot injury didn’t even include a boot because the doctor didn’t have one, and I needed it. I also needed pre-op tests for the surgery. That was probably at least a few hundred, maybe more because I needed a CAT scan. No tests, no surgery.

I’m generally a healthy person, but last year just kicked my ass. Don’t risk it, OP. You could lose your house.

by Anonymousreply 111January 5, 2021 3:42 PM

My sister was without insurance and had some problems. She lived near the border and started accessing care in Mexico. Just a thought.

by Anonymousreply 112January 5, 2021 3:44 PM

Call a brokerage. IHealthBrokers has good reviews and serve the whole U.S.

Then call other brokerages and see what they offer.

You could probably get a better feel for what's out there in an afternoon of research.

Please don't go without health insurance!

by Anonymousreply 113January 5, 2021 3:51 PM

My sister lost her job in 2016 and didn't have insurance. She started getting sick; in and out of the hospital, so I had her enroll in Medicaid through NJ. She died within a year of getting the insurance. She had stage 4 gastric cancer. By law, the state is able to request reimbursement for expenses they paid. I forget how much it was but it was well over $10k. I was the administrator of her "estate" and had to pay it. We had to use some of her retirement account money.

by Anonymousreply 114January 5, 2021 4:36 PM

When I was ~25, I was switching from one job to another and let me insurance lapse for just one month. I ended up in an emergency room-type situation.

Don't ever let your insurance lapse. Especially in your 40s and older. Ask any financial advisor. The answer will be: don't give up your insurance.

by Anonymousreply 115January 5, 2021 4:56 PM

Medicaid Reimbursement is Institutional racism at its sneakiest worst.

This is a guarantee that wealth does not pass down to poor people.

Medicaid Reimbursement is institutional slavery.

PS, keep your loved ones in home health care for as long as possible.

by Anonymousreply 116January 5, 2021 4:57 PM

Don't do it OP! When I was 50 I dropped my insurance. As a self-employed individual it was getting pricey and I was always in good health. 8 months later, ER visit then ICU with 9 days in the hospital. My bill was $94,000 with additional specialist bills of $2400 that arrived over a month after I was discharged. Since I owned a house, I had to pay $600/month for 9 years after I emptied out my savings account of $35K as a "down payment" to the hospital. It has taken me years to recover from that major financial hit. My industry's professional association just came out with group health insurance that cut my premiums in half after being raped by Blue Cross for $1400/month. Our system is a nightmare. Ironically, all the people on the corporate titty never consider how much more they could be paid if their companies didn't have to pay those private health insurance vampires.

by Anonymousreply 117December 12, 2021 11:43 AM

No way. You are in the age when you will probably start to get some health problems, like an old car, so don't be crazy.

by Anonymousreply 118December 12, 2021 12:45 PM

OP- Yours is CHEAP. Beginning January 1 my monthly payment for my health insurance goes up to $1336.47!

by Anonymousreply 119December 12, 2021 12:55 PM

My suggestion is your leave your shit hole country which is very rich but all the money goes to the top. Move to a rich country that has universal health care. Do it now.

by Anonymousreply 120December 12, 2021 12:59 PM

Yikes, R119. Do you have a Gold plan? My Bronze goes up to $730. I have to pay $8,760 in premiums and another $8,500 deductible before it covers anything other than my "free" annual physical -- though I still have to pay for lab tests and an "administration fee" to the practice.

by Anonymousreply 121December 12, 2021 12:59 PM

Op, can I have your stuff?

by Anonymousreply 122December 12, 2021 1:05 PM

The costs without are astronomical. Pay for cancer treatments out of pocket? Who are you---Elon Musk?!

by Anonymousreply 123December 12, 2021 1:06 PM

[quote]My suggestion is your leave your shit hole country which is very rich but all the money goes to the top. Move to a rich country that has universal health care. Do it now.

And the hell is he supposed to do that? Do you know anything about moving to another country? No other countries are really that interested in Americans moving to them

by Anonymousreply 124December 12, 2021 1:09 PM

Many years ago I was 49 and paid $500 a month for health insurance with a $2000 deductible. I ended up have heart surgery which came to $65,000 and I only had to pay the $2000 deductible.

by Anonymousreply 125December 12, 2021 1:09 PM

As a non-American, I always read these threads with a ghoulish fascination.

by Anonymousreply 126December 12, 2021 1:11 PM

I am curious. Do Americans want universal health care, or to keep paying those outrageous premiums to insurance companies? In Australia, we are often gobsmacked at the situation in the US.

It is deplorable.

by Anonymousreply 127December 12, 2021 1:36 PM

R126 I didn't see your comment when I made mine. American health ‘care’ is abysmal.

by Anonymousreply 128December 12, 2021 1:37 PM

$700? No way. That said, I ruptured my achilles two weeks after getting health insurance last year. Would have been utterly screwed without it. But find a different plan, for pete sake.

by Anonymousreply 129December 12, 2021 1:38 PM

Americans are fantasists who believe that nothing bad will ever happen to them, only to other people. So it's been very easy for the health insurance gangsters to control our medical system. People like the OP lose everything they have when they're injured or ill, all the time.

by Anonymousreply 130December 12, 2021 1:44 PM

Some of the issues with health care in the U.S. First of all the insurance companies are stingy as all hell. Second why is it that different hospitals charge different rates for procedures? Put it this way every hospital has what is called a Charge Master. But I'm in the camp that says we should just nationalize every fucking hospital in the U.S. One Charge Master for all hospitals - and make it the lowest cost ones.

I've had good insurance. Still had to shell out a few hundred a year for stupid shit. `

by Anonymousreply 131December 12, 2021 4:28 PM

R121- I have the Platinum plan for a single person from MVP. EVERY year for the last 7 years they have raised their rates.

I generally have low deductibles.

My primary care fee is $15

Urgent care is $55

Emergency room is $100

I guess those are low fees.

by Anonymousreply 132December 12, 2021 4:57 PM

OP, ask any certified financial planner if it's OK to give up medical / health insurance. The answer will be a resounding NO.

You might be able to get a better deal on the Marketplace website.

We all wish we could pocket insurance premiums.

by Anonymousreply 133December 12, 2021 4:59 PM

Otherwise healthy. I got diagnosed with wet macular degeneration. I need injections 6-7 times a year at a cost of $8000 a visit. WIthout insurance I'd be blind in my right eye. Get it.

by Anonymousreply 134December 12, 2021 5:04 PM

R134- GOT IT

by Anonymousreply 135December 12, 2021 5:07 PM

Anything you get without insurance will be billed hugely higher. It's "worth it" because they screw you to the wall to make it "worth it".

by Anonymousreply 136December 12, 2021 5:11 PM

Get a bronze plan with a high deductible and an HSA. It's what wealthy people do. . No health insurance is a nightmare. Even with good insurance a catastrophic accident or illness can bankrupt you. --Cancer survivor with good insurance.

by Anonymousreply 137December 12, 2021 6:10 PM

OP, look up cancer treatment costs and pre-existing conditions.

by Anonymousreply 138December 12, 2021 6:16 PM

If you are in an accident or hurt and you show up at the emergency room with no insurance, you are going to get the no insurance treatment. Yeah they will help you, they have to but you won't be a priority, you will be the one the get to when they have the time. Especially in today's environment with hospitals crowded with Covid patients, you don't want that to happen.

by Anonymousreply 139December 12, 2021 8:31 PM

Accidents happen. A friend was in an accidental fire a few months ago and her bills are estimated at $8-10m by the time she gets home. Her insurance covers 70% of costs --- but that likely means that the family will be on the hook $2-3mil.

My mother havd chest pains this summer, and went to the ER. Turned out it was impacted food in her espophogus that needed extraction. That ER visit (and procedure) was $25K.

Skipping health insurance is like playing the lottery. A bad roll of the dice and you are without a home.

by Anonymousreply 140December 12, 2021 8:48 PM

R140, that sounds odd. Most (all?) group insurance covers 100% after the deductable and out-of-pocket maximums are met.

R139 that's not true. ER medical staff rarely know or care about the exact details of your coverage. And professional standards REQUIRE them to treat all equally.

by Anonymousreply 141December 12, 2021 9:05 PM

$700 a month?! Holy shit.

by Anonymousreply 142December 12, 2021 9:18 PM

I've seen plans for 1K/month that still aren't nearly as good as the insurance I get with my job - it's really scary.

by Anonymousreply 143December 13, 2021 5:11 AM
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